Phnom Penh: The Cambodian media fails to make people aware of climate change because the reporters lack resources, the government doesn’t give enough information and people don’t care.
Asian Development Bank keep sorry to recognize that the media in Cambodia, one of the developing Asian countries, is not doing a good job in reporting on climate change.
To respond to the poor proficiency of climate change reporting, on April the 16th ADB conducted a work shop to provide journalists technical training, scientific knowledge, and broadcast reporting.
The media plays an important role in breaking down a complex scientific issue like climate change and making it accessible to the general public, said An Quon, senior director of Asian Development Bank’s department of external relation.
But big media institutions in Cambodia tend to ignore about climate change. Television of Khmer (TVK), Kampuchea Thmey newspaper, Phnom Penh Post newspaper, and Radio Free Asia (RFA) report on other issues which their staffs admit that their reporters’ knowledge of climate change is very limited.
“We recognize that the reporting of this issue isn’t specific and qualified enough for people,” said Ms. Chhay Channyda, a Phnom Penh Post reporter
Media, people and government all contribute to people’s lack of understanding.
“Many media institutions don’t have enough human resources related to this field. There aren’t specific reporters as they know very little about the consequences so that they cannot report much about it,”said Mr. Huy Vannak, the RFA reporter.
Climate change is along-term problem that won’t go away, Vannak said, adding that Cambodian know very little about its causes and consequences and some of them don’t even know what climate change is.
“They care only their business whether or not they can support their family and themselves. For the environmental problem, specially the climate change, they value it less concern and consider it as the external problem rather than individual,” Mr. Huy Vannak said.
Due to the human interest, media try to fulfill what people want to know like the financial crisis because it affects people directly and leave this issue behind.
The media attempts to report on what affects people directly, leaving climate change with its sub affect behind, said Mr. Sat Sophal, editor-in-chief of Kampuchea Thmey.
“We can see what is happening now like unemployment. Many people are jobless and some are not able to find income like before, so this will lead to crime in the society and another matter. Global warming, people only wonder why it becomes hotter and hotter,” he continued.
And because the government does not distribute the information on climate change, media is unlikely to write about it.
“We don’t have much cooperation from the source and we are very difficult to get information from the government and the ministry,” said Ms. Nyda of the Phnom Penh Post.
“Climate is the hot issue and very sensitive to the government; if any reporters or NGOs dare to report or take action on this issue, they will stay in trouble.” One reason the government may not the proudly information on climate change, said Mr. Cheang Chanheang, a program coordinator at Khmer Youth and Society Development.
By Phally Ngoeum